There are times in life when we wait long. Waiting for answered prayer, waiting for a vision of a goal to come to fruition. Waiting for a time of trial or illness to pass...during those times we might have a vague question hovering in our heart, "Where is God?"
Yes, we know He is always there, but it doesn't seem like it sometimes.
Similar to the trees, and the perennials during the winter, or a baby growing in the womb, we can trust that God is always up to something that we cannot see during our times of waiting.
I led a study through Isaiah 40:1-11 over Advent and a quote from my study drew me to consider and read about the two 400 year periods of waiting in the Bible: Israel waited for deliverance from slavery before Moses was called (and Moses had 40 years of waiting) and Israel waited 400+ years for deliverance before Jesus was born...
The prophecy in Isaiah 40:3 of John the Baptist coming to "prepare the way for the Lord" prompted us to consider that "every great work of God begins with great preparation". The entrance of John the Baptist into the God's great drama was the transitional point, like the budding of a leaf in spring time...or the transition of labor into the delivery of a baby.
The picture became more clear through our study that we {disciples of Jesus} are {participating currently; constantly} in preparation for the second coming of the King of Kings...mountains of pride will be leveled, valleys of unbelief will be raised up...a highway is being cleared for our King to return (Isaiah 40:3-4). We are in a time of Advent...waiting...and preparation just as God's people have been in the past...and I wonder...could we also possibly be seeing something transitional happening?
I wonder.
May the Lord fortify us, establish us, and give us the perseverance to 'set our face like a flint' (Isaiah 50:7) and march on in our journey of faith wherever that finds us today..(likely waiting for something!), that salvation may come to His people and we will be watching and ready for His return!
Isaiah 40:1-5
Comfort for God’s People
1 Comfort, comfort my people,says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
“In the desert prepare
the way for the LORD;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
May your New Year be full of God's Peace and may you experience great awareness of His Presence!
